Axis Bank seeks agency credentials

Axis Bank is in the process of seeking the credentials of several ad agencies. Currently, Lowe Lintas is the creative agency on the account.

Axis Bank is in the process of meeting up with numerous advertising agencies. This has raised many eyebrows in the industry.

Sources inform afaqs! that the Axis Bank team is currently in the process of gathering credentials of several leading creative agencies to shortlist the names for a creative pitch.

When contacted, Sagnik Ghosh, vice-president, branding and strategy, Axis Bank, denied any official pitch at the moment. Sources, however, inform afaqs! that the team is actively approaching ad agencies, studying their current client lists and getting a general feel of the kind of creative talent available. This step closely resembles the first stage of most creative pitches.

Lowe Lintas is the incumbent on the business; the agency has been handling the creative mandate since September 2009. Prior to Lowe, the mandate was with Ogilvy's sister concern, Meridian Communications.

It may be recalled that in May 2010, Lowe Lintas created an ad campaign for Axis Bank that positioned the brand as a 'solution provider', that is, one which always has a solution for every problem faced by its customers. The campaign ran across TV, BTL (below the line) and outdoor media channels.

In 2007, on the back of a major re-branding activity, UTI Bank was officially re-named Axis Bank. This was done by its then creative agency, Meridian Communications. The bank's new avatar was presented with a campaign that featured identical-looking people or objects to convey that nothing but the name of the brand had undergone a change.

Will the current credential-seeking exercise lead to a full-fledged creative pitch process shortly?

Only time will tell.